Slider guide rail



May 16, 11950 F. J. BURNS 2,597,699

' SLIDER GUIDE RAIL, 1

Filed April 25, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 v 4 I M INVENTOR. fied j 11:;

ATTORNEY? May 16, 1950 F. J. BURNS SLIDER GUIDE RAIL 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed April 25, 1947 INVENTOR.

law/J5 urns.

A 7' TORNE Y Big Patented May 16, 1950 SLIDER GUIDE RAIL Fred J. Burns,Saginaw, Mich., assignor to The Columbia Mills, Inc., New York, N. Y.

Application April 23, 1947, Serial No. 743,270

3 Claims.

This invention relates to guide rails for slider members, and moreparticularly to a guide for maintaining the slats of the blind inpredetermined relation with the window casing, preventing displacementdue to wind or any other reason, and still provide suificient play orendwise movement so that the operation of the blind is free and easy.

One of the salient objects of the present invention is to provide aguide formed with quickly removable section which can be easily removedand replaced to permit removal and/or replacement of the slider membersand slats for as sembly, repair, or for any other purpose.

Another object of the invention is to provide guide rails having rigid,easily removable sections, which will maintain accurate alignment whenattached, which are interchangeable, right or left, and which are simpleand easy to remove and replace in position.

A further object is to form the edges defining the slotted opening inthe guide rails so as to accommodate and permit insertion of screws andscrew securing means.

Still a further object is to provide removable channel-shaped guidesections which can be made up out of waste stock, which can be usedeither for inside or outside installations, and which naturally fit inproper assembled position and relation so that there is littlepossibility of incorrect or faulty installation.

A further object still is to provide a removable guide rail sectionwhich is formed and punched to accommodate screws for securing it inposition, and which can be removed and/or replaced by merely backing offthe screws sufficiently to permit removal of the section, the screwsremaining in position at all times so the sections can be replaced andthe screws tightened to hold the sections in accurate aligned relation.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said inventionthen consists of the means hereinafter fully described, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, the annexed drawing and followingdescription setting forth, in detail, certain means and one mode ofcarrying out the invention, such disclosed means and mode illustrating,however, but one of the various ways in which the principle of theinvention may be used.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a front-elevational view of a conventional blind includingguide rails equipped with removable sections.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged, side-elevational view of the removable sectionshowing the inner side of the guide rail.

Fig. 3 is a face view of one of the sections, the one edge being brokenaway to more clearly show the construction.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view showing the guide rail used as an outsideinstallation.

Fig. 5 is a transverse-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a face view of an alternate construction.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken on the line 1-1of Fig. 6.

To prevent Venetian blinds from swinging in the wind like a curtain, andstriking or marring the window frame with the resultant noise andrattle, it is customary to provide slider guides on the ends of certainof the blind slats, and these slider guides slidably engage preferablychannelshaped guide rails or track members C secured to the side railsof the window opening, so that they are adjustable with the blind, butin no manner interfere with the conventional operation thereof.

The guide rails, when installed, must be rigid and in accurate verticalaligmnent to eliminate any binding action; they extend from the bottomto the top of the window frame so as to eliminate any accidentaldisplacement. Therefore, when the blind is installed and guide rails andslider guides are assembled and engaged, the only way to disengage theguides from the rails is to remove the entire guide rail together withthe screws or other securing members, and this is not practical becauseof the time and labor involved; the possibility of misalignment whenreplacing, and the difiiculty of again engaging the slider guide withthe guide rails, and I have, therefore, provided quickly and easilydetachable rail sections R which are preferably located at the upper endof the guide rail, and which are readily removable so that the gliders,slats, etc. can be removed for cleaning, repair, replacement, or for anyother purpose when desired.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings in which is shown thechannel-shaped guide rails or tracks C formed with an elongated passage8 therein, which is adapted to accommodate the slider guides G, one endof which is attached to a slat S, with the head H extending into theguide rails so that they freely slide therein when the blind isadjusted.

The rail proper comprises bottom, side, and wing sections 9, l0, and IIrespectively, and a plurality of openings l2 are provided in the bottomwall 9 of the guide rail as shown, said openings extending into the sidewalls In of the tracks as shown at M, and the opening I2 is ofsufficient size to accommodate the screw I5 for securing the rail inposition, while the opening I4 is of a size sufficient to permit passageof the screw head when the sections are removed and replaced.

The openings [2 are located in spaced relation and accommodate thescrews l5, the wings H of the rails being punched or formed as at I6 toaccommodate a conventional screw and screw driver (not shown), so thatwhen it is desired to remove one of the sections R, the screws l5 arebacked off sufiiciently to permit the sections to be shifted sidewiseout of alignment with the main rail, the heads of the screws readilypassing through the openings l4 so that the slider members, slats etc.can be readily removed.

To replace, it is merely necessary to move the section R sidewise sothat the openings 14 register with the screws I5, and. when the sectionis in proper position, the screws are tightened so thatthe section formsan accurate continuation of the main guide rail.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawing, I have shown the invention applied toan outside blind installation' in which the guide rails are mounted onbrackets l "I which are secured to a-window frame W, small bolts l8being substituted for screws, otherwise, the operation is identical.

In Figs. 6 and '7 of the drawings, I have shown a slightly modifiedconstruction in which the bottom walls of the traclrv sections areslotted as at [9, these slots opening into an enlarged area 28 thatpermits passage of the head of the screw l5 so that the sections can beshifted vertically and removed when. the screws are loosened; this canbe readily assembled but has possibilities of incorrect installation.

From the foregoing description, it will be obvious that I have perfecteda simple, practical, rigid and economical removable section for sliderguide tracks which can be easily and quickly removed and replaced, andwhich can be formed of waste material.

What I claim is:

1. A Venetian blind including vertically disposed channel-shaped guiderails formed with opposed Wing sections on the free edges of the guiderail to provide an elongated slit of predetermined width therebetween,slider guides mounted on the slats of the blind with their headsnon-removably engaging the wing sections of the guide rails for slidingengagement therewith when the blind is raised and lowered, and a,quickly removable section intermediate the length of each guide rail topermit removal or insertion of the slider guide when said section isremoved.

2. The combination as defined in claim 1 in which screws are providedfor securing the sectionsin position, said sections being formed withpassages of a size to accommodate the shank of the screw to permitdisengagement of the sections from the screws when said screws areloosened.

3. The combination as defined in claim 1 in which the guide rail ishollow and a continuous open passage is provided in the guide rail topermit sliding travel of the slider guides therein, screws mounted inthe bottom wall of the guide rails and enlarged areas in the edges ofthe wings in direct horizontal alignment with said screws to permitinsertion of a screw driver into said guide rail.

FRED J. BURNS.

REFERENCES CITED Q The following references are of record in the file ofthi patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 261,382 Pisak July 18, 18821,198,729 Lessing Sept. 19, 1916' 2,255,311 Butler et a1. Sept. 9, 1941

